The video for that missed goal tending call will most likely be up by the time I finish typing this sentence. So I'll just have to add a link when it does. In what was otherwise an excellent game today, that was a real flub by the refs.

I feel sorry for the guys on the team. Because they played a hell of a game today. Truck was hitting shots after such a horrible drought. Jones was what he always is, incredible. The young guys made a lot more contributions than mistakes. I've seen past teams not able to hang close and come back in the dome. In other words, this was shaping up to be one of the top performances of the year.

Sadly, it all went down the drain on a no-call. The only good thing to take away now is the lesson that you can't put yourself in the position that you need to make the last shot to win. It's nice when you do, but when you don't, it's sucks big ones to walk away with nothing. So just for the hell of it, here's something to walk away with.

You may remember the last time I sat down for a heart-to-heart with the Thundering Herd's favorite fanboy.  Unfortunately, Ole Chucky had to cut our time short due to a Botox appointment, but he promised me an exclusive interview once the regular season was over and his time wasn't occupied covering things like bowl practice or tracking down the latest 4- and 5-star recruits to verbally commit to Marshall.   

This time around, in a candid tell-all look into the life of Huntington's most eligible beat writer, I got to touch on some of the hottest issues to grace the pages of the Herald-Dispatch since the meth lab behind the Big Sandy caught fire:  the addition of a school that Marshall doesn't play (TCU) to a conference that Marshall isn't in (the Big East), the hiring of a coach who was the offensive coordinator of a team to lose to Marshall in 2008 (Dana Holgorsen, then with Houston) by a school that Marshall will only play once while that person is the head coach (WVU), and everyone's favorite topic, the comments of a high-ranking athletic department official at a school that includes the name of the state where it is located (Oliver Luck, Athletic Director, WVU) to persons who are alumni, supporters, and boosters of that school (not Marshall). 

Mr. Landon's insights on these issues were, well...insightful.  His comments are not pretty.  Reader discretion is advised.

[photos via  hailwv.com and eerationalsports.files.wordpress.com]

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As Saturday's game approaches and my mind drifts blissfully farther from the qualify of football we are likely to see on the field, I've found myself questioning the legitimacy of Cincinnati's mascot, the Bearcat.  Some mascots make sense, like the West Virginia Mountaineers, Florida Gators, Nebraska Cornhuskers, and Texas Longhorns.  Others do not, like the Cincinnati Bearcats.  I mean, seriously.  A bearcat?  The animal doesn't even exist!  It's like they couldn't decide between the Bears and the Cats, so they compromised and combined them or something.  I mean, isn't that what you'd expect from a school that has switched conferences more often than 5th Year Senior changes his underwear?

Pictured above, the UC Bearcat presents as a cute, fuzzy, teddy bear-like mammal with red eyebrows and a nose bright enough to lead Santa's team of reindeer on Christmas Eve.  The thing also looks to have a combover, giving it an eledrly pervert kind of vibe.  No offense to those of you who are elderly.  And wha's with the red eyes?  I guess if I went to a school surrounded by crime-infested urban blight I wouldn't get much sleep either.  In light of all this, the mascot makes so little sense that I just had to find out the story behind it all.  So, with nothing to do on a sunny Veterans Day besides organize my socks and drink some bourbon, I did some research.  My findings are after the jump.

 via uc2go.mobi

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WVU could surely stand to see more of this tomorrow:

And throw in a healthy dose of Tavon as well!!!

It is cliche and overused at this point to make Ralph Friedgen fat jokes. They are not original or funny these days. That means you won't see any jokes on this blog saying, "Ralph Friedgen is so fat the last time he saw 90210 was on the scale." You also won't read anything to the effect of, "Ralph Friedgen is so fat when they hand him a menu at a restaurant he replies, 'Yes please.'" You certainly won't see me say, "Ralph Friedgen is so fat, when his wife asks for pigs in a blanket, he jumps back in bed."

Nope, we are going to take the high road...or just a different track for making fun of Mr. Friedgen. Through my bevy of sources, I have obtained the food prep list for the Maryland football facility. It contains a staggering array of entrees, drinks, and desserts. It would be easy for me to tell you everything that will be served, but let's have a little fun and play a game. A little game called, "What will Ralph Friedgen eat today?"

Guess away...

Well, apparently, Maryland has none.

Both Jamarr Robinson and Danny O'Brien have seen time at QB for the Maryland Terrapins, and both have brought good and bad to the table so far this season.  Robinson, the starter, was ineffectual against Navy and only mildly better against lowly Morgan State.  His season stats, passing for a whopping 81 yards in two games, is borderline laughable.  He has, however, run for 128 yards in those games, averaging over 7 yards per carry, so you know there's at least some danger.  Robinson throwing the ball looks only to be a danger to Maryland, not the opponent.

O'Brien, the "better passer" of the two, was inserted into the game late against Navy...and promptly fumbled.  His performance against Morgan State was better, completing 5-10 for 79 yards and three scores, but it was Morgan State. 

Together, they don't look like the type of two-headed monster that can challenge even a depleted Mountaineer secondary.  If anything, the Mountaineer defensive backs and safeties may get a chance to ball hawk and cause a key turnover or two.

Even Maryland fans certainly don't seem to have much confidence in the duo, as a major fracture of opinion exists on who to start, play, or sit (well, except for the guy who compared Robinson to Michael Vick and O'Brien to Tony Romo -- that's a mighty big leap there, sir).

Overall, it may give WVU a chance to "get well" after the Marshall game and gain some confidence back in front of the home fans.  Turn Maryland over early and this game could land comfortably in the win column.  Make Robinson and O'Brien look like Vick and Romo, however, and it could be a long afternoon.

And I mention "hot terrapin action" simply because I watched an episode of Tosh.0 last night that prominently featured turtle porn.  I don't have a clip, so you can't exactly share the moment with me, but it's still fun to say "hot terrapin action," isn't it?  Someone should make a comedy movie with that title.  I would probably see it.

Anyways...it's Maryland week!  That excites me, simply because it's no longer Marshall week, which was just a huge pain in the ass.  I'm afraid if we were playing UNLV this weekend, the Marshall talk would linger for much longer.  But because it's Maryland, a border rival of the now mild variety, we can at least move on to other things.

As for what we're moving on to, I really have no idea.  This isn't the Maryland of years past.  There's no Scott McBrien, Shawn Merriman, D'Qwell Jackson, Vernon Jackson, Steve Suter, etc.  I honestly can't name one Maryland player.  Well, I couldn't yesterday, but today someone told me that Dave Megget's son plays for Maryland, so now I can now name exactly one Maryland player: "Dave Megget's Son."  I figure that's what it says on the back of his jersey, too.  Either way, I really don't know what to expect.  The Fridge is still there, but both his recruiting and fat jokes aimed at him have become tired and stale.  Outside of the above Sack Lodge joke, there's really not much to be had.

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It seems that many of us are counting on WVU tonight.  Here's the full list of wagers over at Voodoo Five or you can see mine after the jump.  The link has the explanation for the banner pic.

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